In the early 19th century, valves began to appear on horns.
It was an innovation which expanded the instrument’s virtuosic possibilities. Previously limited to a series of pitches based on the harmonic series, the horn could now glide up and down the chromatic scale.
Robert Schumann took notice and was eager to exploit the new technology. He described his Konzertstück (“concert piece”) for Four Horns in F Major, Op. 86 as “something quite curious.” In a novel and virtuosic showcase, the quartet of horns take centerstage in front of the orchestra as soloists. First performed by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra on February 25, 1850, the Konzertstück celebrates an instrument reborn.
Schumann considered the horn to be “the soul of the orchestra.” From the blazing opening measures, we are thrust into a fanfare-filled adventure. It is the music of sunny landscapes, medieval hunting calls, heroism, and valor. Schumann seems to have delighted in showing off the new technical possibilities of the instrument.
The three movements of the Konzertstück are played without pause. Erupting with frolicking triplets, the first movement (Lebhaft) is followed by the majestic and nocturnal Romanze. Ziemlich langsam, doch nicht schleppend. The final movement (Sehr lebhaft) begins with a jarring interrupting fanfare from the rival trumpets. With boundless exuberance, the musical protagonists gallop to the triumphant final cadence.
This performance, recorded in August of 2021, features soloists Marc Gruber, Kristian Katzenberger, Maciej Baranowski, and Charles Petit with conductor Alain Altinoglu and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony:
Featured Image: “Life-Size Horse with Huntsman Blowing a Horn” (1732), John Wootton